


Candy Writings

by orphan_account



Series: Tumblr Works [3]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/F, M/M, Platonic Mileven, They love each other, but they love their bffs, just not THAT way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:40:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24616201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Prompt: @eraseyourbookofstories : hi friend!! for prompts, maybe you could do mike and el talking after season 3 and realizing they're both in love with respective best friends (el likes max, mike likes will duh) and then plotting about what to do about it... if that doesn't get too long, also talking to will and/or max about the feelings? and FIRST KISS?! anyway, thank you, love you!
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Will Byers/Mike Wheeler
Series: Tumblr Works [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769854
Comments: 2
Kudos: 47





	Candy Writings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eraseyourbookofstories](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eraseyourbookofstories/gifts).



El laughed at Dustin’s Chewbacca impression in the Wheeler’s basement on a rainy Tuesday. The whole party was spread out among the comfy area, each trying to do homework or “trying” to do homework. Which basically meant only Lucas and Will were attempting it. The two have basically made up to be the best study duo in the whole party. 

Meanwhile, Max was on the couch hanging upside down making random faces at Lucas. Lucas kept shaking his head at her, a small smile showing itself. It made El’s heart hurt for a second. A type of hurt that she can’t quite place, but she knows it’s been going on a for a while now. Before her and Mike even broke up. She looked away at the couple. Well kinda couple? They broke up again. El doesn’t get it; she just understands that Max makes her feel a way she doesn’t get.

“Mike, just hand me the pencil!”, Will exclaimed. He was on his tippy toes trying to reach the number 2. pencil Mike held up in the air. Mike was laughing at his shorter friend, who is not all that short. It’s just Mike likes to grow up to 6′0 and Will is an average 5′8. 

Mike kept laughing until Will pushed him back, he landed on the couch; his cheeks suddenly heated up and his laugh clearly had gotten stuck in his throat. Then, like nothing, Will leaned over Mike and grabbed the pencil, smirking. “Thank you.”

Lucas gave Will a high five when he sat back down, resuming the English assignment they were partners for. Mike sat there paralyzed and Max laughed and flicked him. “You just got owned, Wheeler. How does it feel?”

Mike smacked her hand away and sat back up, “Like shit.” Dustin laughed at his response and El found all of it amusing until Mike made a face when no one was looking. He was clearly looking at Will, but with a sad face. Like he wanted to say something but didn’t know how. He didn’t know how to explain it or get it out. El knew what that was like. 

When El was concentrated on Mike, Max came over and looked over her shoulder. “Whatch ya doin, El?”. She rested her chin on El’s head, and El couldn’t help but giggle. Max always made her so giggly and happy. She was like a candy addicted child who couldn’t get enough. Except Max is the candy who she happens to be addicted to. Her strawberry hair and her light caramel freckles were just as addicting as her white chocolate skin touching El’s own. Hand holding or snuggling, El couldn’t help but want more and more. For Max, El had a sweet tooth.

“Just observing the other species.”, El looked over at the boys. Dustin was clearly trying to start a fight with Lucas, while Will laughed at Dustin’s antics and added input in every now and then. Mike was sitting on the couch, fondly looking at Will. Mike had the same look El has whenever she stares at the girl behind her.

Max had a small laugh and pulled a chair up next to El’s. “A strange species, huh?”. El nodded her head and looked around the room, trying to avoid Max’s jelly bean blue eyes. “Are you okay?”, Max asked with a low whisper. Her voice was laced with concern and El didn’t want to worry her. That’s the last thing she would ever want. El was forced to look at the thing she was trying to avoid the most. Max was sweet and El just couldn’t get enough of her sugar. “Yeah. I’m happy, Max.” _When I’m with you_.

The red head nodded and grabbed her hand, “Just making sure.”

_

It was just Mike and El after the rest of the party took off. Lucas and Will were going to actually try to work at Lucas’s house, which totally didn’t make Mike the lightest bit jealous. Dustin had gotten picked up by Steve and Robin, a few minutes before Dustin was going to give them a call. “It must be babysitter’s tuition”, Dustin mumbled out after saying goodbye to the two. El had given him a small goodbye with a light wave while Mike simply yelled out a ‘be safe’. It’s a habit.

“So...what do you want to do?”, Mike asked El. She sat down on his couch, looking confused and lost. “Can we talk about...feelings?”. Great. Mike’s least favorite thing to talk about. He really wanted to say ‘no’ since lately his feelings have been screwing him over quite drastically. Mike’s idiotic feelings make him feel weird around his best friend. Make him notice little things he’s never noticed.

How Will’s eyes remind him of a leather cover to a journal. How when you open it up, you learn so much. The person’s thoughts and secrets that they would never tell another soul. Will was like a book Mike loved to read. One page after another was filled with something new and interesting. A phrase could make you laugh or cry, their words inside determine how you feel. Mike couldn’t stop learning and taking things in. Remembering ever little detail. Mike wanted to be apart of the story of Will Byers. He wanted to make an important enough impact on him where Will would deem him worth to include him in his story.

Mike looked at El and nodded, “Sure.” Might as well focus on someone else’s feelings though. That and El looked upset. She patted the space next to him, silently asking for him to sit down. He took a seat next to the brunette and made a motion for her to start talking.

“Mike, what does it mean when someone makes you feel all happy on the inside but also makes you feel super panciky?”, she asked. Mike knew that feeling all too well. “Like your heart pumps a little faster-”

“And your cheeks heat up-”, she continued Mike’s statement.

“And you don’t know what it means but-”

“You like it. You like how they make you feel.”

Mike and El looked at each other and something simply clicked between the two. Oh no. They _both_ got it bad.

“Yeah, El. I think we both know it.”. El nodded and she looked a little brighter. She’s happy she’s not alone on this. “Is there a word for it, Mike?”. Mike knows there are a few words on how people would describe what Mike felt for Will.

“I think they would call it ‘being in love’.”

“But that doesn’t make sense because I love you and Hopper and Will but I don’t feel like this for you guys.”, she looked more confused than ever. She positioned herself to sit more comfortable on the couch, and then El looked ready to learn a new subject. She always makes the same face when she gets determined to understand, but the catch with this is there is no real answer. Being in love is some many different things Mike barely has a grasp on it but he can just _feel_ it.

“El, when you are **in** love it means that you share something a little bit more special than when you love someone. It’s a feeling you get when-”, Mike doesn’t know how to explain it right. “Like we said before, they make you feel all these different ways. You can’t just pin it to one feeling.”

El looked down at her hands and back up at Mike, “Can anyone make you feel like this?”. Mike took a deep breath and continued, “Anyone if they gave you the chance. More than one person can make you feel like this in your life, but that depends if you stay with the first person. Or the second. Sometimes a person can make you feel like you’re in love”, he thought back to when he and El were together, “but sometimes there was nothing there at all. You just want something to be there badly so it makes you feel normal”. All that time with El, and Mike was in denial the entire time. He wasn’t in love. He wanted to be.

“D-did I make you feel like that, Mike?”, she questioned but somewhere in her eyes Mike could tell she knew. “I-Yeah. I’m sorry.”. She sat closer to him and pulled him into a nice - friendly- hug. “S’okay, Mike. I think, I think I didn’t know what love was. I mean, being in love.” Mike nodded and he knew she meant it. 

They both didn’t. They were young and stupid. Not understanding what in the hell they were doing, but them two are good now. They always will be.

Mike pulled away from the hug and looked at El, “Why are you asking? About love now?” She shied away, looking embarrassed. “You don’t have to tell me, El. It’s okay if you don’t want to-”

“I want to tell you, it’s just scary.”

He grabbed her hand. “I’m right here with you.”

El took a deep breathe and sighed out, “I think I’m in love with Max.”

Mike almost laughed out of reflex but her face stopped him with the seriousness behind it. El was actually in love with Max. Well shit. “Really?”

She nodded and appeared to be blushing even more than before. “Max makes me feel all these different ways, Mike. You described it perfectly.”

Mike could’ve made a big deal out of this. He could’ve gasped or yelled out, made a scene but he didn’t. El is one of the most understandable people in the world. She gets it and whether or not she agrees with you, she supports you. _But Max. Are you **serious**? Out of **all the people of the world** -_

“I understand. I’m happy you told me.”

“What about you Mike?”

“What?”

“Who are _you_ in love with?”

“No one”, he quickly lied, “Not everyone falls in love.” By the look of El’s face she wasn’t believing him one bit. “Don’t lie. Friends don’t lie.” Mike needs to learn he can’t get nothing past this girl. Being the chief’s daughter really made her just as sensible as one. Not Hopper specifically but still. Ya get the gist. 

He didn’t want to tell her because saying it out loud would really make it sink in. What would she think though? Obviously she wouldn’t judge but what if her views on boys together were different from girls being together? Than what? She would tell Will and Will would look at him disgusted. Not because he’s homophobic (he already came out as gay), but because he would know that every time Mike held his hand or wrapped one of his arms over his shoulder, it wasn’t _just_ out of friendship.

But looking up at El, those thoughts went away. This is El he’s talking to. Not his mother. El would never say anything that Mike wouldn’t want her to. “I’m in love with Will.” He said it as if he ripped off a band aid. Fast and painless.

“Oh. I know that”, she laughed.

“What?!”

She laughed more and lightly hit his shoulder, “Mike! That was so obvious! I thought that was it!”

Mike sat back and crossed his arms, “I’m happy you find my love life amusing.”

She stopped and gave the fakest ,poutiest lips ever. “I’m sorry.”

Mike looked her in the eyes before breaking out into laughter and then she started to laugh too. Nothing was funny. He was so in love it hurt but El made it seem a little better. A little less painful. She got it.

They continued laughing until they couldn’t anymore.The little bits of being hurt disappearing and instead being filled with laughs. Laughter filled the basement and all because two love sick nerds couldn’t help but laugh at themselves. Or each other.

When they both finally calmed down Mike laid down on the floor and El joined him. “Was I really _that_ obvious?”

El gave a small laugh and nodded, “Yep.”

“So, we’re both in love with out best friends?”

“Mhm.”

“That’s great.”, his said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

She held his hand turned her head to look at him, “Well it’ll get better right?”

Mike brought her hand up to his mouth and gave it a soft kiss. “If it doesn’t, we still got each other.”

Happy, El turned her head to look up at the ceiling. “Best friends?”

“Best friends”

_

For now they have each other, and later on when Mike has the balls to ask Will out (and of course Will says yes) El gets just enough courage to tell Max at one of their famous sleepovers which ends with a kiss. And El was right, she tastes like candy. 

And yeah, Will’s a great book Mike can’t wait to learn more of.


End file.
